The Truth
by CK4
Summary: Love, betrayal, and the clash of wills...Peace ended after 7 years. And all have fallen under the rule of a tyrant except the Rebels who cling desperately to ideals of Relena had finally been captured by the enemy...where's Trowa?
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer:** If you can't protect what you own, you don't own anything. Take _that_ Bandai! Bet you won't go mailing your issues to me!!! 

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** The Truth**  
Part I   
April 9th 209   
Heavy footsteps echoed down the dank stone hall, which connected the dungeon to the main hearing room. The air was drenched with the moist smell of moss and urine. The woman, clad in brown rags, shivered as her bare feet padded along the stone floor while being escorted by two armed burly guards. 

Approaching the end of the dimly lit tunnel, the 29-year-old squinted her eyes against the sudden increase of light. 

The room was humongous. The floor was a beige stone colour, except for the red lush straight carpet that led from all entrances (3 in all) to the North wall where there was a 'throne' chair as well as congress chairs on either sides of it. The walls were the same colour as the floor and the ceiling. Works of art hung on the wall from such as: DeVinchi, Michelangelo, and Florae. 

One of the guards pushed his weary captive forward, towards the man seated on the 'throne'. She stumbled; the heavy iron chain that bound her hands and feet rattled in protest. Regaining her balance, blue eyes studied the man she brought before. 

Dark brown hair came down in a swooping motion, framing his almost golden eyes, and stopped at his cheeks. His uniform was similar to everyone else she had seen: black pants with a red strip down both sides, a black jacket with red buttons (designed very much like OZ). A numerous amount of medals and ribbons decorated his jacket, indicating that he was important. 

He looked at her, amusement sparkling sickeningly in his eyes. She held her head high, defiance evident in her gaze. 

"So," he drawled, slouching in his chair, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I finally get the opportunity to meet the great Princess Relena Peacecraft, dove of peace." Seeing no reaction from his sneer, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "How did you manage to stay hidden for so long? Huh?" 

Her posture remained as stiff, as it was when she saw him, and she stared straight ahead. Realizing that she wasn't going to respond, being an impatient man by nature, he lost his demeanor. 

"Answer the damn question wench!" he jumped up from his seat. "Do you not realize your current position?" He now stood in front of her, staring boldly into her face. A snarl once again crossed his face and the feeling of uneasiness washed over her as she met his eyes. 

All of a sudden her head snapped to the right. He had slapped leaving a stinging sensation on her cheek. 

"Joshua," he addressed one of the soldiers by her side. "Take her back to her … cell." This time he laughed, but his chuckle was cut short by the interference of another voice. 

"But my lord, Major-General Yuy has made other arrangements for her." 

Four heads turned towards the new comer. A short man with long graying hair tied in a low ponytail stood near the east entrance. His right eye twitched as his superior twisted around to face him. 

"Explain." 

"He instructed us to place her in one of the guest rooms and if anyone had a problem with it, that person should meet him in the combat room." 

Relena could see the younger man's teeth grinding in anger and the older gentleman visibly shrank away. 

"Fine," he said. "Take her to the guestroom, after that, go tell Yuy to meet me in my office." 

The guards that brought her in led her towards the west exit as the man who had slapped her walked to the east. Relena glanced back in time to see what would later have great significance. 

The old man bowed before the young, in a show of respect, as he passed. He paused, as he reached to him, and kicked him swiftly. He then looked on his shoe, checking to see if there was dirt on it. The old man lay on the ground, face twisted in pain, and stretched his hand out to the offender's leg. Her vision was blocked as they rounded the corner and Relena tensed even more. 

_'What kind of people are they? If they treat their allies like that, how much more their enemies?'_

*~*~*~*~*

  
**NOTE:** This is a dream I had had for a while and I've finally decided to put it on paper. You can keep track of the dates becuase the story-line will be doing hop-scotch. ^_^ 


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer:** If you can't protect what you own, you don't own anything. Take _that_ Bandai! Bet you won't go mailing your issues to me!!! 

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** The Truth**  
Part II   
April 9th 209   
His left eye twitched. The itch near his temple was driving him insane, but he didn't dare scratch it. No way in hell would he give Damon the satisfaction of making the first move. 

The uniform sound of soldiers marching on the terrain surrounded the room's two occupants. This staring competition had commenced from the time when the younger officer entered and sat down in the chair facing the large desk. 

Finally, Damon smirked, his off-white teeth gleaming as Major-General Yuy sat before him, his gaze never leaving the Prussian blue eyes. He leisurely strolled towards the front of his desk and sat on its edge in front of his serious ally. 

"Heero," he began. His tone was light but the look in his eyes was unsettling which had always managed to place Heero on guard since the day they met. "I am your superior officer therefore my word has authority over yours. Yet today the balance of power had been shifted. Why did you over-rule my instructions?" 

Through his unruly chocolate locks, Heero regarded Damon with mild irritation. "Lieutenant-General," he addressed him in his usual monotone voice. "The order was to capture the ex-Vice Foreign Minister Dorlian and to deliver her to headquarters for questioning by our leader. Throwing her into the vilest prison cell, which was knee deep with sewage water, and issuing an order that she be given no food was uncalled for." He continued angrily, "The General did not want her dead!" It vaguely registered in Heero's mind that this was the second time today that he allowed the reins on his emotions to slip. 

Damon's smirk evolved into a smile at this rare occasion. "And neither do you." 

Heero said nothing. 

"That was all I needed," Damon said rising to his feet and Heero followed suit. "You are dismissed", his solemn stance matched his expression. 

Following protocol, Heero gave Damon a stiff salute, spun on his heel and walked towards the door. 

As his hand was about to touch the pad by the doorframe, which analyses the subjects' handprints before allowing entrance or exit, Damon called to him again. 

"Our leader wishes to speak with you at 0800 hours. Details will be sent to you later before your engagement." 

Heero stepped through the exit. Standing in the empty hall, he waited for the soft click of the computer control door to close behind him. Upon hearing it, the hand that was hanging loosely by his side grazed his gun attached to his side, headed past his torso and gave his head a fervent scratch. 

~*~*~*~ 

His pace slowed down considerably once his arrived in the corridor in which Relena was installed. Without thought, his legs transported him to her door. The two guards posted there became alert when they identified a superior officer and gave Heero the mandatory salute. 

"I'm here to speak with the new captive." 

"Yes sir!" the guard on the left said as she punched in the security code that opened the door. 

Heero stepped through alone and the entry automatically closed behind him. Startled aqua orbs focused their attention on the intruder with a mixture of fear and determination. Her initial shock was quickly masked by an emotionless face that gazed up at Heero with such indifference that made him consider his options and wonder if it was too late to turn back… 


	3. Part 3

**Disclaimer:** If you can't protect what you own, you don't own anything. Take _that_ Bandai! Bet you won't go mailing your issues to me!!! 

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** The Truth**  
Part III 

September 27th 202 

"Stars," Relena decided. "That's what they remind me of." 

Lighted candles, decorating the perimeter of the grand ballroom, flickered and swayed along with the music, while the large crystal chandelier loomed above from the center of the ceiling, sparkling. The heady aroma of wine and laughter wafted through the air, intoxicating all those who were present. 

Looking down the staircase, Relena's chest swelled with pride at the sight below. 

_'Peace is wonderful.'_

The crowd of dancers parted to give room for a couple that was about to perform a difficult waltz. 

_'It brings a feeling of calmness, and stability that nothing else could duplicate.' _

Blond hair swept across the porcelain face of the female dancer who was spun by her stoic partner. 

_'Peace gives us the chance to breath.'_

The tempo of the music increases and the dancers move with such grace and efficiency, many gasped while others nodded in appreciation. 

_'The chance to think…'_

The woman was thrown in the air, completed three spins, and fell promptly in the young man's arms. 

_'… and fulfill our dreams.'_

The pair moved with energy and what might be mistaken as love as each; step, twist, and touch looked sacred and cherished. 

_'It brings life and provides an atmosphere for it to duranate- survive and prosper.'_

Regrettably, the music faded and the dancers ceased movement, still embracing. After a brief moment, a roar of applause resounded throughout the room, causing the pair to blush lightly. When the applauses came to an end and the music began for the other guest, was when Princess Relena Peacecraft decided to make her entrance. 

_'It's life- pure and simple. Something we often take for granted and should not live without.'_

Declining the long case of the loosely spiraled steps with her right arm on the banister, the slight hum of the company below came to a halt when she came into view. Instead of the 16th century (AD) attire she wore in her teenage years, she was dressed in a straight white dress. Its collar covered three quarters of her pale neck and sleeveless sleeves. The dress was so long that it would have touched the floor had it not been for the three-inch gold high heel strap-in sandals. Her golden tresses flowed down her back, without any braids, and reached her midriff, framing her slight but womanly curved form. With her dress trimmed with gold stitching and the imperial crown of the Sank Kingdom upon her head, she looked like she just stepped out of a fairy tale. A herd of unmarried men congregated at the bottom of the stairs, impatiently waiting for her descent. 

Belatedly, she remembered to smile, even through their sight made her ill with disgust. Aqua orbs searched desperately for a familiar face. Her once forced smile, when she saw her friend from her teenage years, became genuine. 

He parted the _gentlemen_ and bowed grandly before her. Relena performed a curtsy in return that would have had her mother proud, and accepted the arm he presented her. 

Bringing her lips close to his ear, she whispered, "thanks, Quatre". 

He blushed, but it went un-noticed due to the deep tan he received from his vacation in the Arabian Desert. 

"It is my pleasure, Ms. Relena." 

She looked up at him in amusement. No matter how many times she asked him- begged him, to call her just Relena; _'I don't want to be disrespectful,'_ was his defense. 

Quatre led her further into the room towards a small group of familiar faces. 

"Trowa, I never knew you could dance so well!" Relena said. "Dorothy is no surprise since she gave me lessons last spring." He was spared from commenting when a sudden out burst from Wufei caught their attention. 

"Blast it!" he grumbled, arms crossed. "I feel like a fish out of water in this room full of penguins." 

His date chuckled at his obvious discomfort. "Be careful, Wufei." Sally cooed, "You almost sounded poetic." 

His scowl deepened when he realized they were laughing at his expense. "I knew inviting you wasn't a mistake," jested Relena, smiling. 

"True," Dorothy drawled. "He's the life of the party." 

"Women," he snorted. If it were possible, his frown deepened and Sally wondered if it was seriously going to affect his health. 

"Speaking of which," Quatre turned to Relena. "May I have this dance?" 

"It would be my pleasure." He took her hand and led her to the dancing area. 

_'Geez, these shoes are *killing* me. What possessed me to wear high-heels, especially when they are as thick as a wire! I should have brought extra footwear- like my combat boots or running shoes-'_

"Woman! Are you paying any attention to what I just said?" 

_'Men,'_ Sally thought eyeing Wufei's sensible flat shoes with envy. _'They are so darn lucky'!_ "Hmm?" she smiled sweetly. 

"That's it! I'm laying down the law-" 

"Wufei! It's not the time." 

Under Trowa's cold emerald eyes, Wufei unconsciously pouted and folded his arms over his chest in defeat. 

"How are things going?" Trowa directed his question to the willowy blond. 

Tucking a strand of her waist length hair behind an ear, "as expected," Dorothy replied. 

"If you need anymore equipment-" 

"Please woman, that goes without saying." Wufei interjected. 

"Listen here you self-righteous-" 

""If you'll excuse me…" Dorothy smiled and separated herself from the group. 

"Tonight?" 

Strong lean fingers grazed the item in his pocket that his mind had been on all night. 

"Tonight," Trowa replied. 

"Well it's about time," Sally exclaimed. "How long has it been, two years?" 

"Two years and three months." 

"He can count too." 

"Shut up woman!" 

"Bite me!" 

Unnoticed, Trowa slipped out of their company to a secluded dark corner, relishing his solitude.   


*~*~*~*~*

  
_'Where is she,'_ Trowa's mind screamed as he combed the ballroom for the illusive blond. It had been three hours since they were separated and about two since he last saw her. Scanning the crowd one more time Trowa deduced that she must have gone upstairs given that he had checked the garden before. Without drawing attention to his person, he ascended the spiraling steps to continue his investigation. 

With each ground he covered his composure was deteriorating. 

_'She couldn't have left without me…'_

His speed increased with his fear. Each room he inspected gave no clue to her presence and no knowledge of where she was. As a precaution, he produced a handgun that was strapped to his chest. His search brought him to the brown oak doors of Relena's bedroom. His nerves were wrecked and as he reached out his hand to turn the doorknob he could literally feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. 

Hesitating for only a moment, Trowa push his way in the room. 

Stepping over the thresh hole, gun posed, he allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. 

Blood. It's wretched stench filled the room. The sound of the gun falling to the floor, from Trowa trembling hand, was muffled be the beige carpet. Slowly, Trowa made his way to the source of the smell and the throbbing in his chest. 

Pale, lifeless, dead- Dorothy. 

Kneeling beside the mangled body, he ignored the red liquid that embedded itself into the carpet giving it a mucky colouring. Lifting her head, which was twisted in an unusual fashion, and he placed it in his lap. 

Drinking, dancing, and music continued below. The world moves on either ignoring or unaware of the passing of Dorothy Catolina. 

Rocking her back and forth, Trowa held her in his arms and wept.   
TBC   
  



	4. Part 4

**Disclaimer:** If you can't protect what you own, you don't own anything. Take _that_ Bandai! Bet you won't go mailing your issues to me!!! 

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** The Truth**  
Part IV   
September 28th 202 

It was raining. 

The heavens were wrenched apart and, heeding the call of gravity, water poured from the sky. 

Droplets fell as fierce tears that plunged deep into the earth, delving in the uttermost part; and become whole once more. 

The sound of its progress soothed an observer who stood behind the protection of a glass wall while the sun played an intriguing game of hide and seeks among the billows of dark clouds. 

Slender fingers toyed with the teacup in her manicured hands. Raising it a little above her thin lips, she closed her eyes and inhaled the strong scent of sweet herbs deeply. It never ceased to calm and clear her mind. A drowsy expression befell her features, opening her eyes slightly, she continued to watch nature cleanse and replenish itself in her garden. Rain meant two things to this individual, a beautiful sight and… 

"Relena," a deep voice disturbed his musing. 

A corner of her mouth twitched. There was no need to turn around; she knew whose voice it was. It was as if her mind had conjured him up; though she was well aware that the thought was unrealistic and childish, it was amusing. She sipped her tea, which was still warm, and licked the residue off her unpainted bottom lip. 

"Prepare yourself for the end." 

Her hands faltered at the blunt unexpected statement, and a small portion of dark liquid escaped from the cup and rolled gently over her fingers, which regained control. 

"Not one for pleasantries," she muttered. "You never were." 

"Don't be alarmed, you knew it was going to happen eventually." 

Adorning her face with a cool expression, she faced him. Her eyes widened as she surveyed his attire. It had an uncanny similarity to that of OZ… 

'So he actually did it,' she thought to herself. 'All I need now is another death threat'. 

"You are no longer required," he took the safety off his gun, which Relena had not realized he had been holding aimed for her chest. "It's now time for a change." 

"That organization…" she whispered more to herself than him. She said boldly, "How does Dorothy's death play into this?" 

"That is none of your concern, Relena," he said stiffly. 

She squared her chin as she looked defiantly into his eyes. "Are you here to kill me as you promised years before?" her voice did not tremble. 

"No," he put away his gun. 

Her expression softened, "then why are you here?" she asked gently. 

"I felt obliged to warn you before hand," his voice was hard, and as she stared into his brilliant blue eyes, she found no compassion there. "This is goodbye Ms. Peacecraft." 

She gaped; her calm countenance was lost and replaced by a potent mixture of confusion and fear. He never addressed with any other name but 'Relena'. 

In an attempt to conceal these betraying emotions from his perceptive eyes, she bowed her head as she gently placed her cup on the oak table. It rattled a bit as it made contact with its matching saucer. With free hands, she smoothed imaginary wrinkles from her beige suit, took a deep breath, and looked up. 

He was gone. 

'Of course he was gone,' a voice sneered in her head. 'Rule number two; when speaking to Heero, never look away'. 

In a sigh, she expelled her frustration, confusion, and fear… only to breathe them in again. With a frown, she picked up her cup. Once again, she brought it to her lips and made a sour face. It was insipid and left a bad taste in her mouth. She hated things that were cold. 

Lifting her eyes up from the distasteful drink, she resumed her previous stance by the large glass. Her aqua eyes gazing out into the distance, hanging on to the image of an oasis in a dessert of destitution. 

It was in that position she stood when it happened…   
TBC...   
**AN:** For all those fans who love drama and what others would say *mushy-stuff*. This is the *mushiest* chapter I'll ever write for this story... maybe... 


	5. Part 5

**Disclaimer:** If you can't protect what you own, you don't own anything. Take _that_ Bandai! Bet you won't go mailing your issues to me!!! 

**AN:** Thanks for those who told me I made a mistake on the dates with the last two chapters. I fixed them now. Hint- we're back in the present now. 

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** The Truth**

Part V 

April 9th 209 

The club was at full capacity as it always was this time of the week; Saturday night. 'Le Respire' was located in one of the shadiest place in town; therefore being one of the best places to hide. 

It was dimly lit in attempt to give the impression of mystery and sexuality. A 6' 3" oriental man's large frame blocked the doorway completely. Hi sface was perfectly propotioned with the exception of a frown that was now imbedded into his skin as well as character. Scanning the room, his questing eyes at last located his query. 

A slumpled male figure sat in one of the back booths, eyes closed, nursing a bottle of scotch. The right corner of his lips twitched; he knew all about the stranger whose uniform was identical to his. 

With sure-swift steps, he closed the distance between them, seated himself in front of his fellow officer without any exchange of words. The intruder was served and several minutes passed before he spoke. "Is it true?" 

The other man took another swing of his bottle before answering; "yes she's here." 

His Asian friend hummed and nodded to himself- it was a habit. "Are you goning to speak to her?" 

"I already have," was his reply. 

"Oh... well, does she understand?" 

"..." 

"You did explain things to her, right?" 

"..." 

"Damn it, Yuy! Don't tell me you just stood there like an idiot!" 

"You don't understand," Heero mumbled, peering into the bottle of liquor. 

"Then enlighten me." 

He groaned, and in an idiosyncratic action he covered his face with both hands. "She's changed." 

"Of course she changed," he stated, a little too arrogantly for Heero's likeness. "After what she went through, what were you expecting?" 

"I don't know..." Heero drained what was left of his drink and threw it against the far end of the room. THe fragments of the bottle flew in multiply directions and went ignored. 

"If I had this chance with Sal-" 

"I'm sorry about that Wufei, but thinking about the past is not going to help us now is it," Yuy said looking into his comrade's eyes with determination. 

"Spoken like a true hypocrite." 

"What?" 

He folded his arms over his chest and gave Heero the look of superiority which he usually did when he believed he was at an advantage. Not a very subtle man. "You came here to drown those old ghosts. Ghosts can't die because they're not alive to begin with; you can't forget the past. If you don't know where you came from you certainly won't know where you are going." 

"Did you come down here to give me a lecture?" he scowled. 

"No, " Wufei replied, frown firmly in place. "I'm here to escort you to our leader." 

Heero looked thoughtful, "yes at 0100 hours." 

"That's in 3 hours." Wufei supplied. "Do you have any idea why he called you?" 

He shook his head, "negative". They stood simutaneously and headed for the exit. "How is Chhoi," he asked on impulse. 

"Excellent," Wufei said, and something akin to a smile came to his face. "She said her first word: dada." 

TBC... 


End file.
